the most accurate view of the Milky Way ever created:

 Astronomers just released the most accurate view of the Milky Way ever created:

Over 11 years, the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission made three trillion observations of two billion objects, creating a precise 3D map of our galaxy.

Unlike static images, Gaia’s data reveals the Milky Way in motion, showcasing the dynamic history of its stars.

This mission builds on earlier milestones, like the 1989 Hipparcos mission, which mapped 100,000 stars, by expanding our understanding exponentially and confirming the intricate structure of the Milky Way.

Gaia has made groundbreaking discoveries, from identifying fossil spiral arms — remnants of ancient galactic interactions — to uncovering filamentary structures at the galaxy’s edges. It also revealed a wave-like distortion in the galactic disk caused by the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal galaxy.

As Gaia's mission concludes, its final data release in 2030 promises even deeper insights into the Milky Way’s history and evolution, cementing its legacy as a cornerstone of modern astronomy.

Learn more: https://www.esa.int/.../The_best_Milky_Way_animation_by_Gaia

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